Portable metal extraction machine and method of using

Abstract

A process and apparatus for extracting gold from circuit boards, gold fingers and gold pins is described comprising the steps of applying liquid nitrogen directly to the surface of the circuit boards, gold fingers and gold pins, thus freezing the gold. A vibration is then instituted to loosen the gold from the substrate to which it was attached. The gold flakes or particles are then collected by a high powered vacuum apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for extracting metal from a substrate comprising: cooling means for cooling the substrate in liquid nitrogen until the metal freezes; and   holding means for holding the substrate after the metal becomes frozen:   removal means for striking the substrate being held by the holding means causing the metal to separate from the substrate while not damaging the substrate;   collecting means for collecting the metal separated from the substrate by the removal means; and   release means for removing the substrate from the apparatus after the collecting means has collected the metal separated from the substrate by the removal means.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said collecting means comprises a vacuum apparatus for collecting the metal separated from the Substrate by the removal means. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the removal means comprises hammer means for striking the substrate. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: a first chamber housing the cooling means and in which the substrate is placed and thereafter exposed to liquid nitrogen by said cooling means for freezing the metal on the substrate;   a second chamber housing the holding means, the removal means and the release means and in which a plurality of hammer members of the removal means strikes the substrate being held by said holding means for separating the metal from the substrate;   the collecting means connected to the second chamber including a vacuum for removing the metal separated from the substrate in the second chamber; and   transport means for transporting the substrate between the first and second chambers, the transport means including the release means for transporting the substrate from the second chamber.   
     
     
       5. A method for extracting metal from a substrate comprising the steps of: cooling the substrate in liquid nitrogen until the metal on the substrate freezes; and   holding the substrate after the metal on the substrate becomes frozen;   striking the substrate so as to separate the metal that was frozen from the substrate while not damaging the substrate;   collecting the metal that was separated from the substrate; and   releasing the substrate from being held after the metal that was separated from the substrate was collected.   
     
     
       6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said collecting step comprises the step of vacuuming the metal removed from the substrate using a vacuum apparatus. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said removing step comprises the step of striking the substrate with a hammer means. 
     
     
       8. A method according to claim 5 wherein the cooling step is performed in a first chamber; the holding, removal and release steps are performed in a second chamber; and   the method further comprises the step of:   transporting said substrate into the first chamber, between the first and second chambers and out of said second chamber.